


A Queen Reborn

by CitrineQuartz



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Acceptance, Bisexual Female Character, Body Image, But just barely, Eventual Smut, F/M, Heartbreak, Homophobia, Pokemon Battle, Romance, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Sexual Content, Siblings, and she talks to him on the phone, big time hoe, but sexual stuff soon, guzma is only mentioned, maybe a visit in the future, shes a hooooeeee, shes bad at feelings, slow burn but i get impatient, the layout of leon's house is different, trauma from a shipwreck, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:07:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21601828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CitrineQuartz/pseuds/CitrineQuartz
Summary: A fresh start, new friends. Flora moves from Alola after being in a bad shipwreck, leaving her friends and family behind.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. A Wilted Flower

With a sigh, Flora set the last box down on the floor. The house was cozy, small but it felt so spacious. Her Mudsdale, the only Pokemon she was able to bring, was outside and tethered to a fence. She picked up her cell phone and clicked on her mom's contact while she walked over to the window to open it. A few rings and her mother picked up.

"Mom?"

"Flora! You're doing okay, right? No trouble?" Her mom was worried as she spoke.

"I'm fine. How are my Pokemon? Ara and dad are okay?"

"They're all great, honey. Ara's taken them out to exercise. She misses you, and so does Kukui."

"Kui hasn't stopped messaging me." She turned to look outside, chewing on her lip. The fresh air was wafting in from outside and she basked in it. The plane had been stuffy and cramped, this air was welcome. Flora inhaled, listening to her mom talk.

They stayed on the phone for a few minutes before Flora hung up. She moved around the house, grabbing her bag and her Mudsdale, Pixie's, Pokeball. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath and pushed the door open. It was all different, now that she took the time to see she realized that. Her feet started to move and she grabbed Pixie's lead rope. Flora led her down the path, past her neighbor's house and down towards town.

Pixie followed by her side the whole time, occasionally nudging her and snorting at some new Pokemon. "C'mon, chunky. We've gotta get going." Flora said, pulling the Mudsdale along. The small town wasn't far now, it was just in front of her.

~~~

She'd finished getting groceries and had food and other items hanging from saddlebags on Pixie. Just as she'd exited the shopping center, Flora noticed the crowd. They were gathered around the train station, cheering. A man was in the center, he was oddly familiar. Long purple hair and an extravagant cape were certainly eye-catching. She pushed forward with Pixie and stood at the edge of the crowd. Pixie's head towered over the audience and certainly caught people's attention. The man in the middle spun and struck a pose, his Charizard posing with him. Then she heard the name being shouted by the crows. "Our champion Leon!" It clicked for her. Flora had seen him at one of the international meets, where all of the champions from each region met and discussed the future of the league. With her being the first champion of Alola she was a hot topic for a few months, but that all died down once she'd pretty much given up her position to Hau. Now she was here and well, no one had recognized her. It was disappointing and relieving at the same time. Now Leon was waving the crowd away and she stepped forward, smiling.

"Leon, it's good to see you again."

"Forgive me, please, but I can't remember who you are?"

"It's fine, no one recognizes me out here. I'm Flora Lane, the first champion of Alola. We met at the international meeting a couple of years ago. I'm sure I look a little bit older then I did then, I was only sixteen after all."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I've got a horrible memory!"

"I didn't know who you were until your fans were shouting out your name," She scratched at her neck, smiling awkwardly. "I guess you live here?"

"Yeah! It's great! He's just gotten home for the first time in forever!" The kid exclaimed. He looked no older than fourteen, maybe a little younger. "We're gonna make barbecue to celebrate! You should come!"

"I don't know, I have groceries I need to get put away and-"

"You should, we can help with the groceries if you want."

"I mean, you can if you want. I'll be fine on my own, no need to waste your time."

"It's no problem, right Hop?"


	2. Partied Too Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon's mother drinks too much and embarrasses everyone at the table. Flora loses her keys and spends the night.

"You're too sweet! Leon, you need to date her!" Her cheeks turned red and she almost choked on her drink. Something stirred in her chest that made her almost giddy.

"Mom..."

"Miss, I'm flattered but I have _other_ priorities."

"I think you've had a bit too much to drink, mom. Maybe it's time for you to go to bed?" Leon looked incredibly awkward and Hop was trying to hold back laughter.

"Honey, let's go to bed." Leon's father stood up and began to guide his wife into the house. "You three mind cleaning up?" Flora nodded and stood up, beginning to clear the table.

"Can you go inside for a second, Hop? I need to talk with Flora about something."

"Okay!" He disappeared into the house while Flora continued to clean.

Leon dragged a hand down his face, eyebrows furrowed. "I really am _sorry_."

"It's fine, Leon. My mom has said that to me and my friends hundreds of times. I'm just used to it." She paused for a moment, eyes becoming unfocused as she thought for a second. "I can't remember what I did with my keys." Without skipping a beat, Flora continued to pick up glasses while Leon got plates.

"Aren't you gonna look for them?"

"In a minute. It can wait." He opened the door and both of you walked inside, heading toward the kitchen. "One time, when I was young, my sister lost her keys to the house. They sat in the barn for weeks before she found them. Everything stays, I think." She put the plastic cups in the recycling and waited for Leon to be done throwing his plates away.

"You can stay here tonight, it's too dark to look for keys now."

"Are you sure? You've already helped me so much today."

"Helping with groceries is nothing, Flora. And I have to do something to make up for my mom saying that."

"It's fine. Where am I gonna sleep then?"

"Guest room. It's right down the hall from mine."

~~~

She tightened up the string on the sweatpants she was wearing. Flora always kept an extra pair of pants with her; they were necessary because of how muddy she got. There were so many times she'd needed to change when she still lived on the ranch. Dirt was everywhere and she never was fully clean on muddy days. Bending over, she pulled the hair tie off of her wrist and put her hair up in a ponytail. She straightened her back and rolled her shoulders, adjusting her shirt. The door opened behind her and she turned to see Leon. He looked like he was blushing, but she felt like she was imagining it. 

"You okay? I can let you have my room if you want, I could sleep in here."

"I'm fine. Wouldn't want to kick you outta your room." She grabbed her bag off of the floor and zipped it up. "I've slept in a stall before. My mom put me on baby watch because some Pokemon don't lay eggs and she wanted me there to make sure nothing went wrong."

"I just wanted to check and make sure you were okay, wouldn't want to give you a bad first impression of the champion." He was smiling, arms crossed. His hair hung around his face and looked messy. "I guess I'll go? If you need anything I'm right down the hall." She nodded and Leon left the room.

Something was charming about him; more than his muscles or handsome, maybe it was the way he smiled or the way he talked. She'd hardly talked to him for an hour or two and Flora felt as if she'd known him forever. Shaking her head, she moved over to the bed and sat down on it, looking at the moon through the window. It was the same, really the only familiar thing here in Galar. It was the same moon she looked at in Alola, maybe even the same moon her mother was looking at now.

...

maybe it was the same moon that Guzma was looking at? Flora flopped down on the bed, sighing. She missed Guzma, she really did. It had been at least a year since she'd talked to him and it made her sad. They dated for a few years, but that didn't last when he decided to go build Team Skull. She loved him in a platonic way, which she realized after they broke up. They'd grown up together and grew stronger together, spending all of their time training. She had scars from when some of their Pokemon battles had gotten out of control and she'd jumped in the middle, unthinking and trying to get the two Pokemon apart. And now she had his number blocked, fearing that he would contact her and she'd have to face the horrible things she'd said to him.

She shook her head, rolling over. Flora needed to chill, big time. Moving to Galar was supposed to be new, a fresh start where she didn't have to live with what had happened in Alola. Rolling over, she closed her eyes and pushed her legs under the covers. They were thicker, heavier than what she used in Alola. It was almost comforting- almost. Pulling the covers over her shoulders, she settled in and tried to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhuhu


	3. Morning Glories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wakes up and starts her day, but finds a surprise waiting outside.

Rolling out of bed, Flora yawned and cracked her back. She grabbed her bag and pulled her phone from it, checking her notifications. A text from Ara, a missed call from Plumeria, and some social media notifications. Flora opened up Insta, took a messy selfie, and posted it. "lost my keys!!" Was the caption. She pushed her phone into her bag and pulled her bag onto her shoulder, not bothering to change. She was just going to look for her keys and head home anyway. Without another thought, she made the bed, slipped her shoes on, and left.

Wiping sleep from her eyes, Flora stepped out of the house. There was a small Pokemon in front of her, green and grass type. She slowly approached, letting her arm stretch out towards the curious Pokemon. "You're alright, little guy. I won't hurt you." The Pokemon approached and slowly reached an arm out towards hers. It grasped her hand gently and let her swoop it up. Her Rotomdex flew out of her bag and beeped.

"Grookey, the chimp Pokemon! It attacks with rapid beats of its stick. As it strikes with amazing speed, it gets more and more pumped." She let the Pokemon climb up on her shoulder and noticed what he kept grasped in his hands. Flora took the keys from the Pokemon and held them in front of her face.

"It seems I have quite the thief here. I've never seen a Grookey before." The Pokemon climbed around on her shoulders, waving a little hand in her face. "You're a cutie. Let's head over to my place, I'll make sure you're fed and watered. Oh! It's been so long since I've gotten to add a Pokemon to my team!" She walked up to the house and swung open the gate in front of it. Flora smiled at the Grookey and unlocked the door, stepping inside.

~~~

The Grookey sat with her as she did her makeup, grabbing at the brushes. "You're just a baby, Grookey. A little bitty baby." Her phone rang on the counter and she accepted the call putting it on speaker.

"'ey! You missed my call, girl."

"It's not my fault you get up at the ass crack of dawn, Plumes. Some people need to sleep so they can look good."

"You know you're pretty, Lane. What're you doin'?" Grookey made a cooing noise, looking down at her phone. "You got a guy over already?! I thought you said you were goin' after a girl first."

"No! I found a Pokemon, he's called Grookey. And to answer your other question, I'm doing my makeup. You'll never fucking guess who I met."

"Who?"

"The fucking champion! I mean, I was a champion and hopefully will be again soon but y'know," She carefully pulled the mascara wand over her eyelashes. "He's so fucking pretty. I know you don't care about that part but I stayed over at his house last night."

"Did you-"

"Don't say it." There was a hint of warning in her voice.

"Why were you over at his house last night anyway?"

"Lost my keys."

"Again?"

"I've been really bad about that since-" She paused, looking at herself in the mirror. The scar crossing her forehead seemed so much more noticeable now that she brought the topic up. After her head had been slammed against the railing on that tiny Aether ship when she was younger the skin on her forehead split open. Her right eye was just a little bit more squinted now, hardly noticeable but it still made all of the difference to her.

"You okay?" Sighing, Flora tucked her mascara back into her makeup bag and zipped it up.

"I think so. I'm getting better, I know it." Closing her eyes, Flora let her hand travel to Grookey's head and pat it. "And him?"

Plumeria was silent for a moment before she spoke. "You need to talk to him. After what Lusamine did he hasn't trusted anyone, he'll hardly talk to me about it. Promise you'll at least text him sometime?"

"I'll try. Just- just don't expect it to go well."

"I won't. Come visit soon! Cherry says hi!"

"Tell her I say hi back! Bye Plumes." She hung up the phone with a hint of sorrow in her voice. Shoving her phone into her pocket, Flora grabbed her tennis shoes and hurried out of the house. It was warm, but cold compared to the summers in Alola. A soft breeze blew past and she stood still, letting it push her hair into her face. The Grookey had climbed onto her shoulder and was now cooing towards Leon's house. His door opened and the man himself stepped out, with that stupid cape billowing behind him. "Hey."

"You found him! I've been looking all over for Grookey."

"He stole my keys, I think. I just found him outside of my house and holding my keys." She swung him off of her shoulder, listening to the Pokemon making excited chirping noises.

"You're good with him. Have you handled a Grookey before?"

"No, but I have gone through school to become a Pokemon Nurse. It kinda goes with the trade." Leon looked surprised as he smiled, putting a hand on his hip. "My mom's a Nurse Lane, my sister was the only one who wasn't." Flora played with Grookey in her arms, smiling at him.

"Interesting," He pushed his hair away from his face, still smiling. "You wanna go get breakfast? There's a good diner in town and I can tell you a bit about Galar."

"That sounds great."


	4. Violets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A breakfast with Leon, nothing romantic. That's what they both know.

Her finger was outstretched, pointing to all of the Pokemon on her team. The picture she used was of the day she'd become champion, truly the day she'd been her best.

"My Incineroar was everything to me. All of my Pokemon were, they still are. I've had every one since I was little, but I couldn't bring any of them with me except for Pixie. The rest didn't pass the check except for Pixie. She was the only one who didn't have the Pokevirus. They all stay with my sister now." Her eyes had a wistful look to them as she remembered her Pokemon. "I'm building a new team now, starting with Grookey." She tried not to say too much, worrying that Leon already thought she was weird.

"You're not gonna use your Mudsdale in the gym challenge? Right?" He said it slowly, careful with his words.

"I need an endorsement first, which I don't have. Does Hop have one yet?"

"He's going to," Leon was smiling and his eyes were bright. "I'll be the one to endorse him!"

"Good. He reminds me of a kid back from Alola, the new champion over there. Always so bright and cheerful, he was like a brother to me. I miss him, but I needed to leave." She grabbed her cup of water and sipped from it, leaving her lips parted as she put the cup down. "Hop... Hop's going to be strong, I know it."

There was silence for a moment before Leon spoke, "I can endorse you too."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Pft, yeah. Just promise me something."

"What?"

"Take care of Hop."

"I promise." She shifted, toying with Pixie's Pokeball in her hand. She'd painted it a beautiful shade of orange, to match the Alolan sunset and Pixie's shiny coat. "What made _you_ want to be champion?" His eyes seemed to light up, just a little bit.

"It's been my dream since I was a kid. I trained until I could become champion and make my family proud. Why'd you become champion?"

"To one-up my sister! She was a trial captain in Alola until she turned 18. My friend pushed me and I pushed him until one of us made it. He was the one that started the Alolan league. Originally he wanted me to be in the Elite Four but I declined." She watched the waitress walk back up to the table.

"Are you two ready to order?"

"Yeah. Can I have pancakes?" The waitress nodded, taking Leon's menu.

"I'll just have the fried eggs. Thank you!" Flora smiled, handing the menu over. Her hands were folded in her lap under the table, fidgeting nervously. Why was she so anxious about this? She looked at his cape and thought about how ridiculous it was, trying to calm herself down. He pulled it off well; maybe it was the confidence? And the snapback, which had that ridiculous crown pattern on it.

"You okay?"

"Huh?" She stared at him for a minute before her eyes shot wide and she sheepishly grinned. "Sorry, I spaced out. Were you trying to tell me something?"

"I was saying that I like the way you battle. I've seen a few of your matches and they were impressive, to say the least."

"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself." Her smile grew and she scratched at her neck. "So uh, what inspired the, y'know..?" She made a pulling motion at her neck and clicked with her mouth.

"My cape? It looks great on me, plus I can have all of my sponsors on it."

"I don't know anyone else that could pull it off," Flora chewed on her cheek, holding back a laugh. Maybe it was his confidence?

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Leon."

"Why are you here?" Flora's eyes traveled to meet his before lifting a hand to her cheek, the other one clutching her bag. There was silence before he spoke again, "You don't have to tell me. Arceus, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that."

"No, it's fine! It isn't your fault at all." She smiled weakly before nodding. "I was in a really bad shipwreck, sailing to Kanto from Alola. Like, bad. I had temporary memory loss and a lot of scars from it. My-!" Her voice spiked as tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"You okay?"

"It's just rough to look b-back on. I, um, haven't been the same since. My skills in battle declined and I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take the disappointment in my mother's eyes and I left." Flora wiped the tears from her cheeks and tried to smile again. "I'm sorry. I'm still adjusting to everything."

It seemed like the lack of conversation was deafening, it stretched over what felt like eons before she spoke. "I was originally going to move to Unova or Kalos but I found out that there were a lot of opportunities for showing Mudsdale."

"Really?" His face was looking a little blanched, which made Flora wrinkle her eyebrows and examine it closely.

"Yeah. Are you feeling okay? Your skin looks kinda pale. I didn't get you sick, did I? Oh, I hope I didn't bring anything over from Alola! I-I can go ask the waitress for the check and get the food to go." Her eyes were wide and her hands were clenched on the sides of the table.

"I'm fine! Never been better!" Leon flashed a smile and Flora's nerves settled.

"You're not fine. I've worked my entire life with Pokemon who can't tell me how they feel; I can tell when a person isn't feeling well."

"I'm okay, you don't need to worry. A champion like me would never let a little bit of sickness get him down." His hands were pressed down on the table and the smooth leather of his gloves ran across it like a knife through butter. He was a pretty guy, she had to be honest. Long or shaggy hair was always cute to her, especially Leon's since her favorite color was purple.

"Okay, sure." She rolled her eyes and smiled, wiping at the dried tears on her cheeks. "I got sick like a bazillion times when I was champion. Mostly because I never slept but that's another story." The waitress came back and set the food on the table before leaving again. Flora pulled her plate towards her and stabbed the eggs before bring them to her mouth.

"Do you ever take a break?"

"Some days I feel really lazy and some I feel like if I sit still for too long I'll explode. It's an on and off thing. So, is there anything you can tell me about Grookey?"

~~~

"Give 'im a branch poke, Grookey!" The Pokemon screeched, lunging forward at the Sobble with a stick. Tears spilled from the reptilian Pokemon's eyes as he took the hit and squealed, tumbling backward. The Pokemon fainted and next out was Wooloo.

"C'mon Wooloo! Tackle!" Hop gave his cheeks a little pat, eyebrows furrowed.

"Dodge n' Scratch!" Grookey wasn't able to get away from the charge and flew backward, but he was able to spin forward and leave a nasty scratch on Wooloo. The Pokemon bleated and jumped forward at Hop's command.

"Give her another!" Her eyes flicked to the side to see Leon watching Hop's every move. The distraction let Wooloo get in a solid hit on Grookey, but her Pokemon held firm.

"Branch Poke, again! Don't hold back!" Grookey launched himself forward, stick held out in front of him. It hit Wooloo right on the chest, sending him back. For a second, all was calm. Then Wooloo teetered and fell, with Hop pulling him back into his ball. Flora returned Grookey and ran forward before stopping right in front of Hop. "Gimme some!" Hop's hand met hers where it was held up. "That was great! _You_ did great!"

"I did?"

"Dude, I was the Champion of Alola for a few years and I struggled with that! It looked good, right Leon?" She smiled, arm moving around Hop's shoulders to pull him in. Bringing her phone from her pocket, she took a photo of the both of them before hastily shoving it back into her pocket.

"It looked amazing! You both were awesome!"

Hop smiled, his face lighting up in a way that was familiar to Flora. He was so much like Hau, it was strange. She was shaking from excitement, from the thrill of having a new Pokemon to train up. With a quick motion, she pulled something from her bag. A few glinting max revives shone in the sunlight. Flora gave them to Hop and said, "You earned 'em. I'd heal you Pokemon up at a center and save those for when you really need 'em. They're kinda hard to find."

"Thanks! I gotta go, told Mom I'd be back so she could say bye to me before I leave. Wanna meet up at the train station tomorrow?"

"Of course. You should get going, I guess." She watched Hop run from the field they were battling in back to his house before she turned to Leon. "He's good. You're gonna have some competition, Leon."

"I hope so. Now, are you just gonna give him a battle and leave me hanging?" There was that pretty smile on his lips, with his long hair flowing behind him. She dug her shoes into the turf below her and pulled out Pixie's orange ball.

"Challenge accepted, champion. You ready?"


	5. Author’s Note!

Hey! Sorry for the absence and lack of updates. My laptop chargers recently broke and I wasn’t able to sign in on archive until now. I haven’t been able to get a new charger but I can now use archive on my phone so I’ll be able to keep writing! A new chapter should be able to come out in the next week or two, but it may be later. A lot of stuff has been going on in my life lately so I haven’t and won’t be able to write much. Hope y’all are doing good!


	6. Orchids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> time skips are gonna happen I guess. writing out each gym seems very boring. It’s a bit of a short chapter, but I hope y’all enjoy it!

The silver moonlight illuminated her skin, giving it an almost eerie glow. Flora stood in front of the gate next to her house, watching a Wooloo slam into it repeatedly. "What're you doing, little guy? Shouldn't you be with your trainer?" The Pokemon bleated and continued to hit the gate. "Stop that, you're gonna break it down!" There were footsteps behind her so she turned her head, hair falling in her face. It was Hop, standing there behind her. "This your Wooloo?"

"Uh, yeah! Lemme just-"

_Crash!_

The gate fell to the ground and the Wooloo took off running. "Fuck!" She looked back at Hop, sending him a smile. "Don't tell your brother I said that. C'mon," She released Pixie and guided her over to the stone fence. Flora used the fence to mount the Mudsdale and extended a hand down to Hop so he could too.

"Are you sure?" Hop smiled nervously and looked up at her.

"You'll be fine. C'mon, just _hop_ on." He laughed and took her hand, climbing up onto the Mudsdale behind her. "You ready?"

"Yeah!" Flora squeezed Pixie with her legs, taking off after the Pokemon in front of her. Pixie wasn't particularly fast, but she could go on forever without a break. They followed the narrow path that Wooloo had taken into the forest.

"Woah!" She shifted her weight on Pixie, giving her mane a small yank. The giant Pokemon skidded to a stop and Flora felt Hop's weight shift behind her. Spinning around, she was able to grab his jacket before he fell off. "Gotta stay on, a fall from this height would hurt." She grabbed Pixie's mane and swung a leg over before sliding off. "And that is a proper dismount. Let's go." Hop slid off and followed her into the forest.

"We should split up!"

"You're not nervous?" She quirked up an eyebrow and turned to him.

"No, I'll be fine."

"Well, I guess you did prove yourself earlier with that battle..." Flora smiled and motioned to Pixie. "Just take her with you. I wouldn't want you to get hurt and have all the blame put on me."

"I'll take care of her. Stay safe!"

"I will." She walked down one of the paths, keeping an eye peeled for Pokemon. There was a mist in the air that seemed to dampen her clothes with every step. A single sound would make her jump or yelp in fear. This was always the worst part of being champion in Alola. She was expected to go in and save every little kid or Pokemon that got lost somewhere dangerous. But... the slumbering weald couldn't be that bad! Flora could get through this, she was strong! Even without Pixie or her Incineroar by her side. She pulled out Grookey's ball and let the Pokemon out. "C'mere, lil' man."

The Pokemon looked up at her and squeaked, quickly climbing up the arm she lowered. He settled on her shoulder and nuzzled her forehead. "We're strong, right?" A Galarian Weezing drifted by, emitting low groaning sounds. Her body shivered and she tried to deny the fact that she was underdressed for Galarian weather. Alola was much warmer at night, to the point where she’d go out in swimwear and muck boots to take care of Mudsdale before heading to the beach.

Well, that was before the shipwreck. Flora hadn’t been swimming since, even though she loved it. The thought of being surrounded by all of that water made her stomach hurt uneasily. She was snapped out of her thoughts when a loud howl echoed through the forest. Grookey’s fingers drummed on her shoulder as if he was trying to find a beat with it. “That’s not music, lil’ buddy.” The Pokémon crawled into her arms and she held him against her chest, one arm wrapped protectively over him. Her steps were careful and measured as she walked through the forest. Every little movement made her heart pound but she didn’t show it. Staying brave for Grookey was the most important thing. She hoped Pixie was doing her job and protecting Hop. Flora did not doubt that Hop was brave enough to protect himself, but his Pokémon may not be strong enough.

Taking a deep breath, she focused on walking. The trees were getting thicker and the mist that hung in the air became so thick she could hardly see. “Hop? Pixie?”

”Flora! Watch out!”

”Huh?” She turned her head to the right and caught sight of a giant Pokémon barely towards her. It looked like a Lycanroc, but battle-scarred and ready to fight. “Pixie, earthquake!” Her Mudsdale nickered and reared up before slamming her legs down. The ground shook and sent Hop toppling down. Her eyes widened in shock when the Pokémon in front of her stood still, completely unaffected by the move. Flickering, the Pokémon looked like an illusion. Flora would’ve called it a hallucination if it hadn’t felt so real.

It let out an ear-shattering howl, making Flora recoil. Her head spun as she watched Pixie drop to her side. Hop, who has been getting up, was struggling to stay on his knees. “Hop,” She staggered over to him, grabbing his wrist. “Hop.” Her voice began to rise as she fell to the ground.

”’m fine. Jus- just lemme...” His arm went slack as he crumpled to the ground. Flora struggled to pull him over to Pixie, where she could watch them both. Her body felt drained of every ounce of energy she had and there was a tiredness that she could feel in her bones. The Pokémon was barely there now, but she could still see the glint in its eyes through the fog that surrounded her every thought and action. Hop still had a pulse, but his skin was ice cold.

”I’m sorry, Hop.” Her body relaxed as she leaned against Pixie’s back. Hop was held in her arms, he was already out cold. She closed her eyes and let the weariness overtake her.


	7. Carnations

It was cold, that’s what she felt. The absence of weight against her stomach was the first thing that prompted her to open her eyes, and the second thing was the arms around her torso. She was hoisted off of the ground and barely made it onto Pixie’s back. “Huh?” Flora opened her eyes and watched as Leon began to pick up a Pokeball, presumably one with Wooloo in it, and put it in his bag. Next, he loaded Hop onto Charizard and began to walk. The two Pokémon followed, with Flora struggling to get her balance.

”You okay back there, mate?” Leon’s hair swayed as he turned to look back at her.

”Other than being cold, I think I’ll live.” With a low groan, she grabbed Pixie’s mane and pulled herself up. “Is Hop okay? He was icy earlier.”

”Charizard should warm him up some. Are you cold?”

”Huh?” She looked at him before the sentence clicked in her brain. “Oh! I’m fine.” It was a lie, but there was simply no point in worrying Leon. The poor guy already looked stressed out of his mind!

”And you’re sure?”

”Mhm. 100%.” Pixie snorted and shook her head before turning her head back to send Flora a glare.

His hands moved to his neck and Flora watched, not realizing what he was doing until she heard the clicking sound. The cape slid off of his shoulders, revealing muscular arms and tan skin. Leon moved over and lifted it to her. “You and Hop are really bad liars.”

”Uh, thanks,” She took the cape from him and fastened it around her shoulders. It was so soft and warm, Flora could almost understand why he wore it. And the best part? It smelled like him.

”What was it like being champion in Alola?”

She turned her chin up and squeezed her legs around Pixie, marveling at how weak they felt. “Not much happened, so there was constant attention on me. I started to get bored with it after a few years.” There was an ache in her chest, reminding her that this was a sensitive topic. “It was never enough. I always had to be better and I couldn’t take a break. Not for one day. I snapped eventually and let a kid win, even though I didn’t want to. He knew it.”

”I’m sorry to hear that, mate.”

”You shouldn’t be. I can only move forward now and my sight is set on your spot. Better start training even harder, Leon.” She smiled and waved her hands around before letting them settle on Pixie’s mane. With a yawn, Flora leaned forward onto Pixie’s neck and scooted her body back. Her eyes traveled to meet Leon’s and she didn’t miss the blush that spread across his face. A soft smirk settled on her face and she shifted, pushing her chest out and arching her back.

”I... Why were you in here anyway?” He was trying to act like he couldn’t see how his cape had fallen aside slightly to reveal sweatpants that strained against her backside.

”You probably caught the reason already. Hop’s Wooloo broke down the gate. I woke up to the noise it was making and I’m normally a heavy sleeper. Hop came running down and the gate fell, Wooloo ran. There was this weird Pokémon back there, though. None of Pixie’s moves hit it, and when it howled...” Goosebumps rose on her skin and she traced her fingers across them. “I can’t remember much, but I was so cold. And Hop was out within seconds. It’s probably because he’s so small.”

Another yawn, why was she so tired? Her arms wrapped around Pixie’s thick neck and she buried her face in the Mudsdale’s mane. “Is the media as bad in Alola as it is here?”

”Oh, it was terrible! I was the center of attention because nothing ever happened!”

”Well, then I guess you’ll be okay with heading out there without me. My mum was worried sick, so I have to get back ASAP.”

”Eh, I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl, _Leon_.” With a smile, she emphasized his name. She didn’t want to screw things up, but this was so much fun! Getting to see him blush and squirm under her gaze was too good of an opportunity to miss out on. But, no matter how much she wanted to, she needed to stop. If Hop woke up he’d probably be pissed. Flora remembered how jealous she’d felt when her big sister had started to date someone. “I’m guessing you want your cape back?”

”You can keep it ‘til morning, I guess. Hop wanted me to take him to visit Professor Magnolia before we leave and I was gonna visit her granddaughter, Sonia. You can go with us, I’m sure you’d like her.”

”...I’m sure I would.” She had no right to feel the tendrils of envy wrapping around her stomach, making her want to puke up the apple she’d had for dinner. Flora wasn’t dating Leon, he probably didn’t even like her! With a deep breath, she put away the memories of envying every trait of her sister’s and shook her head. “We should almost be there. You gonna be okay with Hop by yourself?”

”I should be. Although, I need to have your number in case something happens.” There was a grin on his face as he looked up at her.

”Oh! Alright.” She told him her number, making sure to recite the numbers clearly. And before she knew it, they were at her house. He took her hand as she slid off of Pixie and smiled. “You sure I can keep this thing overnight?”

”Yeah! It looks cute on you anyway.” Her face turned cherry red and she beamed at him.

”Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

”Yeah.”

”See ya.” Flora called Pixie into her Pokeball and turned on her heel before heading inside of her house.


	8. Lillies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yeah, kinda smutty in the beginning. anyway, Flora is a confirmed horsegirl.

With a whimper, she wrapped her fingers in his hair and squeezed her thighs around his head.

”L-Leon!” Her muscular hips thrust towards his head and his hands moved farther up her sides. She let her mouth fall open and tongue roll out as he moved his tongue against her clit. Everything about this felt amazing! Groaning, Flora held his hair tighter as she approached her climax. Just one more lick of his tongue and-!

Her alarm went off, forcing her away from the fantasy of Leon. She sat up in bed and scooted out of it, heading for the bathroom. Forcing a pathetic sigh out, Flora stared at herself in the mirror. Greasy brown hair spilled over her shoulders, framing her face that was pale from sleep. She shook her head and turned towards the shower.

~~~

Pixie cantered along lazily, with Flora sitting proudly atop of her. The wind blew against her face and gave her a sense of satisfaction, but it made her cold. Galar was frigid compared to Alola's blazing heat. She missed the warmth of the sun on her skin and being able to ride in an arena that was freshly tilled. Luckily, it was early enough that not many people were out so she could ride without too much worry. Her legs squeezed Pixie, urging her on. Leon's cape was slung over her shoulders and she enjoyed the warmth it provided, the thick wool on the edges kept her warm. With every stride of Pixie's, Flora's heart thrummed. She'd worn riding clothes, a cream pair of jodhpurs and her tall boots. The black boots shone in the sun and were polished to a tee.

"Slow up, Pix!" She leaned back in the saddle, putting pressure on the reins. A Wooloo darted across the path, braying as it ran. Flora giggled, giving Pixie her reins back and legging her forward. A short stone wall approached, two feet at most, and she bounded towards it on Pixie. Under her breath, she counted the strides.

Three,

Two,

One, and she flew up into her half-seat. Pixie leaped over the jump. They landed and Pixie cantered towards the next one, ears pricked up and eyes bright. Flora went up on her stirrups and out of the saddle, clucking to her. The Mudsdale switched to a gallop and charged forward. A wonderful, glorious sensation swelled inside of her. Every pounding of Pixie's hooves against the ground, every movement forward, it made her feel like she was flying. She let her mouth hang open to suck in as much air as possible.

No wings,

No superpowers,

No planes,

But somehow, she could fly. Somehow, through everything she'd been through, she flew over the fence perfectly. Flora pulled Pixie back to a canter, and then a trot. Eventually, she let the Mudsdale walk. Pixie heaved a deep breath and grunted, flicking her well-groomed tail out to the side. A grand house appeared, past the fields.

She was lost in thought when a shadow covered her. Flora looked up to see the sun blocked out by a winged silhouette hovering above her. “Leon, how long were you watching?” Turning her head, she looked back at him as Charizard landed.

”Not long. I don’t know that much about riding, but you seem good.”

”Thanks. I’ve ridden since before I could walk so I better be.”

”Well, with my zero hours of experience, I could never do what you do.”

"Wanna make it five minutes of experience?" Her hand was extended, an open offering for Leon. With a smile, he took it and she swung him on behind her. "I was pretty well known for my style of battling. With Pixie, I can just jump on her and battle."

"Really? From this height?"

"Mhm. Where's Hop?"

"He wanted to run ahead, insisted I was too slow. Guess I'm getting too old for him."

She nodded, smiling. "Oh, I need you to take this." Flora unbuckled her helmet and slid it off before holding it back for Leon. "You probably don't wanna mess up your hair but it's better than being dead."

"You should wear it, I'll be fine."

With one motion, Flora turned and pushed the helmet onto Leon's head before buckling it under his chin. "I'm the one that rides here, Lee. Not you."

They sat in silence for a while, just sitting on Pixie. Finally, Flora spoke again.

"'s Hop okay?"

"Uh, yeah. He's doing just fine. Are you okay? You seem cold."

Flora felt cold, it was true. It was also true that Leon radiated heat like a furnace irresistibly, making her want to lean back and wrap her arms around him. She scratched at her neck and gave a small grin. "That's why I'm still wearing your cape. If I'm completely honest, I don't have a jacket to wear. I never really used them cause I had my Incineroar, y' know?"

”Do you need me to get you one? I can if you-“

”Nah, I’ll either get one at the boutique here or somewhere else. And I’m not letting you spend any money on me, Leon.” She pushed her hair back, wishing for a hair tie.

”Tell me more about battling on your Mudsdale. It sounds really interesting.” Flora nodded and patted Pixie on the neck.

”It’s dangerous but I started doing it when I was about thirteen. It was a stupid dare but I wasn’t gonna chicken out. I won the battle and started doing it more. The people in Alola ate it up because no one else did it. Pretty soon, I was a celebrity in Alola.”

Leon chuckled and scratched at his beard. “It seems pretty fun.”

”You could probably do it on Charizard if you don’t care about singed skin and hair.” After she said that, her phone began to ring from inside the little pack on her back. It was big enough to hold Pokeballs, money, and her phone but small enough to stay out of the way. Shaking her head, she pulled her phone out from under the cape on her shoulders and clicked accept. "Hey mom, what's up?

"Nothing much, I'm just gonna take one of the newly evolved Rapidash's for a ride. Has your move gone well?" She could hear the joy in her mother's voice and the creaking of leather over the phone.

"Yeah, I'm takin' big girl for a ride right now. She's a little out of shape but I jumped her some today, just some small fences out in fields."

"Have you met anybody cute? Maybe a potential son-in-law for me?"

" _Mom!_ You're lucky I don't have you on speaker. If you really wanna know, I'll tell you later."

"You're with him now! Oh, Flora!" Flora's face blushed bright red as she pressed the volume button on her phone to turn it down. She _really_ hoped Leon didn't hear that. "Crap, I think I did the cinch wrong. I love you, honey. Come visit soon, okay?"

"Alright, mom. Love you too. Bye." She hung up and sighed before shoving her phone into her bag. Her face was still beet red and her ears were warm.

"What're you gonna tell her later?" Leon's voice was close to her ear and she lurched forward while letting out a gasp.

"I... forgot you were there for a second. She was just asking about Galar and I don't have that many answers." Her tone had shifted and whether it was intentional or not, Flora began to sound stiff and cold. "My mom can wait until tonight or tomorrow to talk."

"My mom's the same way. Well, I guess you met her."

"Yeah, they'd get along great," Sighing, Flora rubbed a hand against her face and hoped she didn't smudge her makeup. "My mom used to say that my sister and her fiance would get married even before they were dating. She was right, but she wouldn't ever drop the topic. I know she would flip if she knew that I was hanging out with any guy, she has such a dirty mind for someone who plays so innocent." Now, she never said that she didn't have a dirty mind, but if she did it wouldn't be a lie. Her dream was a big example of that and the fact that she knew any guy would love the way her jodhpurs hugged her well-toned hips. She pinched her nose and rolled her shoulders back.

"I had this friend in Alola and she still swears I should've dated him from the beginning. He's married now, which makes what she says even worse. His wife is Professor Burnet and she is brilliant. We got along from the moment we met." Her hand moved from the reins to rest on her face, leather gloves soft against her cheek. They had cost a pretty penny, just like all of her other riding equipment. She'd taken good care of it, so most of it had lasted for a long time.

"You'll like Magnolia. She's really intelligent, kinda like you."

When Pixie's ears pricked towards the flash from the road, Flora's face turned white. "Leon, what the fuck was that?"

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to the series where i plunge the same character into many different stories! yeehaw. this isnt the same story as any of my tumblr posts


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